The highly-anticipated Friends reunion episode is finally released worldwide tomorrow more than 17 years after the comedy ended its 10-season run.
The unscripted programme marks the first time that Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc have got back together on the show's iconic set since they filmed their last episode. But will it be worth the wait and live up to the hype?
On the eve of the episode's release, the TV critics have begun to publish their first reviews - read on to find out what they had to say!
Deadline
Much Hyped, Filler-Packed HBO Max Special Is For Hard-Core Fans Only: "The sum total of Friends: The Reunion is somewhat sloppy. For one thing, aside from the assiduous Schwimmer, the rest of the well-compensated cast appear to be on cruise control down self-congratulatory memory lane. Additionally, unlike the felicitous Friends itself, the special steps all over a lot of its cues and beats. Proving that brevity is indeed the soul of wit, the sprawling show is often hackneyed where you'd expect spontaneity and slipshod where you'd expect slick."
Variety
A Glossy, Poignant, Careful Trip Down Memory Lane: "Friends: The Reunion isn't trying to be revealing, at least not about anything that thorny or unpleasant. It's here to entertain, and to remind fans why they love the show. Digging in to its shortcomings would have made for a more interesting special, but it also wouldn't have reflected the show itself, which largely left unpleasantries outside of its comically enormous apartments. Friends only ever tried to address a small slice of life; it's not especially shocking that its long-awaited reunion special would do the same."
Rolling Stone
A Meandering Trip Down Memory Lane: "The long-awaited HBO Max special is an overproduced affair with too many guest stars and detours — but when it lets the iconic gang of six just talk amongst themselves, it hits the nostalgic sweet spot. It is... a wildly overproduced affair, especially since several of [the] pieces have their own smaller segments, like a bizarre fashion show of memorable Friends outfits during one of the [James] Corden passages."
EW
HBO Max delivers the transponster of reunions: "Unfortunately, the bloated, 104-minute (!) special sandwiches... flashes of reunion magic between a lot of silly, tiresome filler. [It] is a bit of a mishmash: Part talk show, part testimonial, part clip-fueled retrospective, and part family reunion."
The New York Times
The One With the 'Remember the One With ... ?': "This special is the superexpressway of memory lanes, an hour and three-quarters that stitch together several formats: a talk-show-style interview with James Corden; a celebrity-packed tribute; a collection of behind-the-scenes clips; and a revisiting and re-creation of classic scenes. The special is better when it gets out of the cast's way and shows us what drew us to them, and them to each other... [and] the best thing about the reunion is what it isn't: The cast and creators are adamant about never making a where-are-they-now revival episode."
Friends: The Reunion is released on Sky in the UK and Ireland at 8am on Thursday and airs Thursday night at 8pm on Sky One. In the US the special is released via HBO Max at 3am ET/12am PT on Thursday.
Neil Wilkes
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